Our Lives Aren't Average
by gloomygraveyardgirl
Summary: Caroline has just agreed to help Hayley at Elijah's request. What will happen when Hayley dies and Caroline is stuck raising Klaus' baby? Non-canon, AU post-S4, Klaroline...
1. Propositions

**Let me tell you a few things about my story, and the world that I live in. In my world, Kol and Jeremy do not die. Just thought I'd make that perfectly clear. Elena turned her emotions off for some reason, and now they are back on. Damon and Katherine most likely will not be in my story... sorry. Bonnie is getting help from Lucy to cleanse her of expression, and Tyler is still a dick. Now that everything is cleared up... on with the story! **

* * *

Caroline felt a tear run down her cheek after replaying the voicemail she got from Tyler. _I think our time together has just… run its course. _She shook her head as she threw her phone into her bag. Why does this always happen to her? She meets a guy who seems to like her, but then something happens and she always comes in second to someone else. Things were finally getting back to normal in Mystic Falls, and then Tyler had to go and do this!

Elena's emotions were back on, Bonnie's cousin Lucy was here to help cleanse her of expression, and Jeremy was not a hunter anymore. Damon had left for some reason, and they hadn't seen neither hide nor hair of Katherine in quite some time. The Originals were mostly gone, just as Elijah had promised, and suddenly Caroline found herself wanting to go with them. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at her stupidity. She would _not_ give into Klaus so easily- if he wanted her, he would have to change.

What she really needed now was a girl's night. Bonnie and Elena needed to rekindle their friendship, and Caroline needed her friends right now. She called them up, and they all agreed to meet at Bonnie's house for manicures, ice cream eating, and girl talk. She hung up the phone and within seconds, a name flashed on the screen. It was Klaus… he had left her a voicemail. She punched in the numbers for her password, and listened as Klaus' voice filtered through the phone.

_Caroline, I am standing in one of my favorite places in the world. Surrounded by food, music, art, culture and all I can think about is how much I want to show it to you…_

As the voicemail ended, Caroline could not help the smile that spread over her face. She quickly composed herself. This was Klaus. They were friends now, but she should not be smiling like this.

* * *

Elijah had finally convinced Klaus not to kill Hayley or the baby, but Klaus had put Elijah in charge of the child's safety. _Great…_ he thought. How was he supposed to keep Hayley and the unborn child safe, while simultaneously assisting Klaus in his overthrow of Marcel? There had to be someone who cared enough for children to help Hayley… but who? Suddenly, an idea hit him. He would find the one person who had kept her humanity through everything. She would be reluctant at first, but eventually she would agree to help. It was in her nature.

He went to find Hayley. They were going back to Mystic Falls, whether she liked it or not, and Caroline would help them out; even if Elijah had to compel her to do so.

* * *

Caroline woke the next morning with her head hanging off the sofa, and her feet draped over Bonnie's legs. Lucy had turned in early that night, but the other three had stayed up late watching old Disney VHS movies, in the order of their release. They had made it to Beauty and the Beast before they all passed out from sugar and exhaustion. She heard her phone ringing, and both Bonnie and Elena were groaning at the noise.

Caroline fell off the edge of the sofa, barely missing Elena in the process. She found her cell phone and went outside to talk on the front porch as Elena claimed the now empty side of the sofa. She looked at the number on the phone, and furrowed her brow. She didn't recognize it.

"Hello?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

_Miss Forbes…_ said the voice on the other end.

Caroline was instantly awake upon hearing that voice. She hadn't heard it many times before, but she could still recognize it. "Elijah?" she asked.

_Yes, Miss Forbes. I am sorry to wake you, but I need to speak with you at a suitable time…_ Elijah said.

"Uh… alright, is everything okay?" she asked.

There was a pause, and Elijah said; _Things are… strange. Your mother has kindly invited me into your home, so I'll be waiting here whenever you're ready to speak._

Caroline froze in her pacing across the porch, and her eyes widened. He was waiting at her home. That wasn't creepy at all… "Okay then. I'll be home soon. Bye," she said before hanging up.

* * *

After showering and explaining that she needed to get home, Caroline hopped in her car and made it to her house in less than ten. She pulled in the driveway and noticed Elijah's black SUV sitting in front of her house. She sighed and walked inside. She saw Elijah discussing something with her mother, who stood and claimed that she was late for work.

Before she stepped outside the door, she put her hand on Caroline's shoulder and gave her a small smile. "Consider what he has to say, Caroline," she said before leaving.

"Um, okay…" she said to herself. She walked to the living room and shook Elijah's hand. She offered him a small smile, which he returned.

"Miss Forbes…" he began.

She breathed a laugh and said; "You can call me Caroline, Elijah."

He nodded and said; "Caroline… I have a proposition for you. Now, you are in no way obligated to help with this situation, but I do wish you would consider it, as I think you're the only one who would be a good option."

"Okay, I'll listen to your proposition with… an open mind," she said in her diplomatic, Miss Mystic Falls, _'let's make it happen'_ voice.

"I have been told that you are aware of Niklaus' inebriated relations with the she-wolf," he said.

She felt her cheeks get hot from embarrassment. She didn't want to speak of his relationship with other women… especially with his brother. She wished that he hadn't, but she had no claim to him. She shouldn't be upset because of it. "Yes, I am aware that he slept with Hayley," she said.

Elijah nodded, and turned toward the kitchen. "Miss Maxwell…" he said.

Caroline heard shuffling from the kitchen, and Hayley came into view with a cautious expression on her face. "Hi Caroline," she said softly.

Caroline looked between Elijah and Hayley before saying: "What the hell is going on here?"

"Caroline, please," Elijah began, "you said you'd listen to my proposition."

Caroline had said that… so she would. "I did say that… so what is this about?" she asked.

"The night that Klaus and Hayley… had relations, a child was conceived. No one thought something like this could be possible, but here we are," he said.

"How do you know it's Klaus'?" Caroline asked.

"I have my ways. If you need proof, just listen," Elijah replied.

Caroline did as he said and closed her eyes, focusing her hearing on Hayley. She heard the wolf's strong and steady heartbeat, and as she listened more carefully, she heard a soft heartbeat. Her eyes snapped open and she looked at Elijah with shock.

"So why did you bring her here?" Caroline asked.

"Klaus has enemies- many enemies. Right now, he's trying to… overthrow an enemy he didn't even know he needed to be concerned about, and he doesn't need distractions. I need Hayley to remain safe for the sake of this child, and I know you can protect her," Elijah said.

Caroline's expression became confused, and she said; "Why would you come to me. Hayley has plotted against me… and temporarily killed me at one point. Why would I be the first person to come to mind?"

"Because it's in your nature," he began. "If you knew a defenseless little baby was in danger with the entirety of the supernatural world, you wouldn't hesitate to help."

Caroline sighed and hung her head. Of course, he was correct- Elijah would always be right about everything. It's just how things were with him. She couldn't turn Hayley away now, knowing that she was carrying some miracle baby that needed protection. Before Caroline could comment, there was a knock on the door.

Caroline opened it, and saw Bonnie standing on the porch. "Hey Care… you left your phone," she said.

"Thanks," Caroline replied.

When she took her phone from Bonnie their hands touched, and the young witch gasped and her eyes widened. She had the _That's-So-Raven_ look, and Caroline was worried. Finally, when Bonnie snapped out of it, she narrowed her eyes and asked; "What's going on?"

"What are you talking about?" Caroline asked.

"I just got a… vision. I've never had one that strong before," Bonnie replied.

Caroline sighed and looked around outside; before ushering Bonnie inside and closing the door. If she were going to help, it would be good to have a witch on her side. She took Bonnie to the living room, where Elijah and Hayley were waiting.

"What's she doing here?" Bonnie asked.

"Be nice… Elijah has asked a favor," Caroline said.

Bonnie furrowed her brows and her eyes shot to Hayley's stomach. Her expression became confused, and she walked towards Hayley… as if being pulled toward her. She touched Hayley's stomach, and gasped before removing her hand.

"Oh my gosh…" she said. "This is Klaus' baby?" she asked.

"Miss Bennett… what was your vision?" Elijah asked.

"It was Caroline with a baby. The spirits say that this _has_ to happen. This is the first time they have directly spoken to me in… a long while. This baby is very important," Bonnie said.

Caroline nodded and said; "I'll help Elijah. She can stay here with me, and I'll take care of her."

"Thank you, Miss Forbes," Elijah replied.

"I'll help too. It would be better if you had a witch on your side. I'm sure Elena would help as well," Bonnie said.

"Elena? Rebekah killed Elena," Elijah stated.

"She had Damon's blood in her system. It's been a hard year, but things are finally getting better. We'll keep this between us for now, but if we need Elena's help, I'll tell her," Bonnie explained.

Elijah nodded. "Very well. I would feel better if you stayed in the Mikaelson mansion. It's spelled to keep out… intruders," he said.

"Okay then," Caroline said.

"Thank you, Caroline. You'll never know how much of a help you've been," Elijah said. "Hayley… be good."

Hayley rolled her eyes and said; "I will, Elijah. I know not to bite the hand that feeds me."

Elijah left the three girls standing in Caroline's living room. There was an awkward silence between the three, until Bonnie spoke up. "I'm going to go look through my grimoires, and try to find out anything I can about this baby. Lucy and I will meet you at the Mikaelson mansion later," she said.

"Thank you, Bonnie," Caroline replied.

"And then there were two…" Hayley stated.

Caroline sighed and went to her room. She took her luggage from the hall closet on her way, and tossed it onto her bed. Hayley stood in the doorway, watching. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I am packing my things to stay at the mansion," she said before looking at Hayley. "Where are your things?"

"I don't have much. All my stuff is already there," she explained.

Caroline nodded, feeling somewhat bad that Hayley didn't really have anything. She didn't really know what to say to that, so she didn't reply. Eventually, Hayley started to help her fold things and put them in her suitcases. This was going to be the longest nine months Caroline had ever experienced.

* * *

**A/N; I hope they weren't too out of character. Also, I don't know Hayley's last name, but I read somewhere that it was Maxwell, so that's what I'm going with. **


	2. One True Mate

**Chapter two is here! There is a lot of information in this, and I am speeding up the pregnancy process, because I'm impatient, and I want the baby to be here like... now.**

* * *

**Three Months Later**

Caroline and Hayley had just returned from the supermarket with a trunk full of groceries. Things had started out rocky between Hayley and Caroline, but these three months had brought them closer- even if they were both reluctant to admit it. There was still a bit of tension, but it wasn't enough to have them at each other's throats the entire time.

Caroline carried most of the bags, with Hayley taking the lighter ones. Caroline could tell that Hayley did not like being treated as a weakling, but there were things that she just couldn't do anymore. After the groceries were sat around the island in the kitchen, they began the laborious task of putting everything where it went. Bonnie and Lucy walked into the kitchen at this time with grim faces.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Caroline asked with a bit of worry.

"We need you both to come with us," Lucy said.

Caroline and Hayley shared a confused look, but followed anyway. They went into the den, and froze when they saw who was there. It was Rebekah and Kol, with a young woman Caroline didn't recognize. _Great_, Caroline thought. She took a protective stance in front of Hayley, and Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"Oh relax, Caroline. We're not here to harm Hayley. She's carrying Mikaelson blood," Kol said.

"Exactly, which is why we've asked Tania here to place a protection spell on the baby," Rebekah continued.

Caroline looked to Bonnie, who said; "We've already done that."

"Oh… well then, Tania, your protection spell isn't needed after all," Rebekah said. "You may run along now."

Tania handed- what looked like- a black doctor's bag to Bonnie, and a book to Lucy, before heading towards the door. Caroline stood in front of her and blocked her path, earning an amused look from the two Originals.

_You will remember nothing of Hayley or Klaus' baby. You were asked to help the Originals with a very unimportant spell, but your services were unneeded. You will go home and remember nothing of your time here,_ she compelled. Tania nodded and left in a daze.

"What was that for?" Rebekah asked.

"Klaus has enemies, which means that people will want to use his child against him. I would much rather this baby information remains on a 'need-to-know' basis," Caroline replied.

Rebekah simply raised an eyebrow without saying anything. Lucy looked up from the book she was reading and said; "What is this?"

"I don't know. I can't read it. Only a Bennett witch can interpret what it says," Kol said, taking a sip of the scotch he poured.

"It's information that the spirits had given to her… and you're not going to like it," Lucy said.

"Why?" Bonnie asked, taking the book from her cousin. "Oh my gosh," she breathed.

"What is it?" Caroline asked.

Bonnie kept reading, before saying; "It says that the werewolf alpha only has one true mate, to whom he must be faithful. If they conceive a child with someone who isn't their one true mate, then balance has to be restored to the coupling. Either the mother or the child has to die."

Silence fell over the room, with everyone looking at each other. Finally, Caroline asked; "How do we know if Hayley is Klaus' true mate or not?"

"That's in here too, but it will be quite painful for Hayley," Lucy said.

"Why will it be painful for me?" she asked.

"Because we need to take blood from the baby," Lucy replied.

"That would be painful for the baby, not for her," Rebekah snapped.

Bonnie shook her head and opened the doctor bag. "No. The protection spell that we placed on the baby ensures that the child wouldn't feel any pain. But this… would definitely cause Hayley some discomfort," she said.

Caroline's eyes widened as Bonnie pulled out a huge, metal syringe. It had the longest hypodermic needle that Caroline had ever seen in her life, and she saw the frightened expression on Hayley's face. "Well… she doesn't _have_ to do that, does she?" Caroline asked.

"Only if she wants to know her fate," Lucy said. "It won't hinder the baby in any way if she doesn't."

Everyone in the room looked to Hayley, who still looked white as a sheet. She nodded slowly, and said; "I'll do it."

* * *

Hayley was lying on the sofa in the den, while Bonnie and Lucy prepared to perform the procedure. Hayley's hands were visibly shaking, and Caroline could tell that she was trying to calm herself down. Rebekah and Kol were watching with perfectly composed masks. Caroline sat next to Hayley and held her hand- this procedure was going to hurt _like a bitch_.

"Okay, what we need to do is stick the needle into your stomach… through your navel," Bonnie said.

Caroline fought the urge to puke right then. She was trying to be strong for Hayley… she was all the girl had right now. Lucy took the syringe and aimed it at Hayley's bellybutton. Caroline felt Hayley squeeze her hand as the needle touched her skin. Lucy pushed the needle further in, causing Hayley to cry out. Caroline and Bonnie had to look away, and they noticed Rebekah doing the same.

After the syringe contained enough blood, Lucy removed it, and Hayley immediately began to heal. She was sweating; her eyes filled with unshed tears. She was trying to remain strong in front of the two Original vampires in the room. Caroline helped her sit up, and Hayley did so while holding her stomach. She would definitely be sore for a while.

Bonnie and Lucy were performing some sort of incantation over the blood, and Caroline watched as the liquid turned black and began to bubble. "Well… that's not a good sign," Lucy murmured.

"What do you mean?" Kol asked.

"If it turned white, that would mean that Hayley is Klaus' true mate. But… it turned black. Hayley is not Klaus' true mate," Bonnie said softly.

Rebekah nodded. "I think it's best if we leave now. Elijah will be interested to know this information," she said.

Bonnie and Lucy were cleaning up their things, and Hayley resumed her position of lying on the sofa. Caroline got her a wet cloth for her head. The poor thing had just received news that she would have to _choose_ between her life, and the life of her child. After placing the cloth on Hayley's forehead, Caroline walked with Rebekah to the door.

"How is Klaus doing?" she asked the female Original.

Rebekah smirked and said; "Why do you care?"

Caroline sighed. "Rebekah…" she said while shaking her head.

Rebekah chuckled and said; "You're doing him a great favor, Caroline. He's getting his job done faster than he would have if Hayley and the baby were constantly at the forefront of his mind."

"Does he love her?" Caroline asked before she could stop herself.

"No, not at all. But, he does care for his unborn child, and as long as the child is a part of Hayley, then he must keep her safe," Rebekah answered.

Caroline nodded. "I understand," she said.

Rebekah turned to walk out the door, but stopped and turned back to Caroline. "I don't know why he picked you to be infatuated with, but now I'm thinking it's a good thing he did," she said before walking to her car and driving back to New Orleans.

Caroline reentered the house and sat on the sofa next to Hayley.

"So what are you thinking?" Caroline asked.

"I'm thinking that… I'm going to die," she said in a small voice.

"I want to say something… to make it better, but I don't know what to say," Caroline said.

"There's nothing you can say, Caroline. But you know… it's okay," Hayley said.

Caroline became confused. "You're okay with dying… just like that," she said.

Hayley thought about it for a moment, and then nodded her head. "Yeah, I guess I am. The only reason I agreed to help when Silas was still alive, is that I wanted to see my real parents again. Shane said he'd help. However, after a while I realized that… he played me. This is the only way I'm going to get to see them again, Caroline, and I'm actually okay with that," she explained.

"But…" Caroline began.

"It's really okay, Caroline. Besides, I don't have to turn every full moon on the other side," Hayley said with a small, bittersweet smile.

"But you'll never see your child," Caroline continued.

Hayley scoffed and said; "I wouldn't be much of a mother anyway, Caroline. I didn't have the best model for motherhood."

After their conversation, Hayley stood and retreated to her bedroom. Caroline knew that Hayley stood firm in her decision, but she needed time to wallow in it. Caroline went to her own room, and listened to the sound of the two sleeping witches, and Hayley's soft crying. Caroline felt tears come to her own eyes before she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Caroline woke to the sound of whispers in the next room. She listened closely and determined that Hayley was asleep, so it must be Lucy and Bonnie talking to each other. She trained her hearing and listened to what they were saying.

_Should we tell her... _Bonnie asked.

_I don't know. Would you want to know?_ Lucy replied.

Caroline got up and quietly made her way to the room next to hers. It was the library of the mansion, and she peeked through the crack in the door.

_I think we should tell her..._ Bonnie whispered.

"Tell me what?" Caroline asked as she opened the door.

Bonnie and Lucy shared a look, before Lucy walked over and pulled Caroline inside before closing the door. "The door has to be _closed_ for the sage to work, cuz," she said.

"Sorry," Bonnie replied sheepishly.

"Okay, what's going on?" Caroline asked

"Last night, I was instructed by the spirits to perform the same spell we did on Hayley's blood... on yours," Lucy said.

"I didn't give you my blood," Caroline said.

"No, you didn't. We spelled you into a deeper sleep, so that we could sneak in and take some," Bonnie said. "By the way, you're my best friend, and I love you!" she added.

Caroline scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, you hijacked some of my blood. Why did they tell you to do the spell on my blood?" she asked.

Bonnie moved aside, and pointed towards the bowl. Caroline looked inside, and saw a shocking sight. The blood in the bowl had turned white, with mist floating on top of it. It was the complete opposite of what had happened to Hayley's blood- which had turned black and bubbly.

"What does this mean?" Caroline asked.

"It means that _you_ are Klaus' one true mate. It also means that you have a very important decision to make," Lucy said.

"Which is..."

"You will decide if Hayley's baby lives or dies," Bonnie explained. "Hayley is doomed regardless, but _you_ are the only one who decides if her baby dies with her."

"Of course her baby won't die with her. What kind of sicko does something like that?" Caroline ranted.

"The alpha-female. You aren't a wolf, so you don't think that way. But a wolf would. It's very confusing," Lucy explained.

Caroline sat down and listened to them explain everything else they had learned through the witch Tania's 'book-of-secrets'.


	3. Welcome Addition

******So... this one is kind of short. Sorry. But, the rest should be longer than this. I got some requests from several different people, on this site and elsewhere, to name the baby Isabelle, but the more I thought about it, it didn't really fit for the image I had of the baby. So... the child's name is... in the story. :) **

**Eight Months Along**

Hayley was eight months along, and she looked like she was about to pop. They hadn't spoken of the shocking information at all. It was a taboo subject that everyone learned to avoid. Elena had finally been told about the baby, and she was actually excited about Caroline becoming a mother- in the only way she could.

Caroline was currently sitting in the den reading a magazine, when Kol came up to her and snatched it from her hands. Kol had moved in permanently at around the sixth month of Hayley's pregnancy, and Caroline had to admit that he was starting to rub off on her- even if he did grate on her nerves at every opportunity.

"Hey!" she objected.

"I don't understand these things…" he mused, stopping when he got to the underwear ad. "Now I do…"

"Give me that back, perv," she said before snatching it back.

He laughed at her as she continued her reading. She sighed and sat the magazine on the coffee table; now her relaxing reading time was ruined. Hayley walked into the room and sat on the sofa, looking completely miserable. Caroline noticed the glint in Kol's eye, and she braced herself for whatever comment he was prepared to make.

"Whoa… are you sure you're not having twins? or triplets?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes and let her head fall on Caroline's shoulder. "Kol… that's really mean," she said.

Kol shrugged and said; "That's just who I am, darling."

Hayley sat back up and smirked at Caroline before saying; "Geez Kol, you're getting to be worse than Damon."

Kol's smile dropped and his look became murderous. He hated Damon Salvatore with a passion- he always had, and probably always would. "I would hate to hit a pregnant woman," Kol said.

"Kol, you will not hit her, okay? She was just joking, and you started it," Caroline stated in a commanding tone.

Kol just rolled his eyes and picked the magazine up off the coffee table, and began reading it. Caroline shook her head and turned to Hayley. "So… have you thought of names yet?" she asked.

"Yeah," Bonnie said as she came into the den. She lifted Kol's feet and sat down, before placing them on her lap. "What do you want to name it?"

Hayley sighed and started fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "I don't know… it's not like I'll be raising it," she said.

Caroline instantly felt bad about bringing up the topic. "Hayley, can I talk to you please… in the other room?" she asked.

"Sure," Hayley said.

Hayley followed Caroline into the other room, and Caroline closed the door behind them. She went to sit in the chair by the fireplace, and Hayley sat on the sofa across from her.

"Okay, I know we kind of have this… unspoken agreement not to bring up the… topic, but I need to know; how do you want this baby to be raised? No matter what, this is ultimately your child, Hayley. You should have a say in this too," Caroline said.

Hayley gave Caroline a small smile, and said; "Caroline, you don't understand. You don't have the pack mentality because you're not a wolf, but I do. When I die, and someone else takes on the task of raising this child, it is no longer my baby. You've agreed to raise it like your own, which makes it your baby. I'm just doing all the hard work," she explained.

"But that's not fair," Caroline stated.

"Maybe not to a human… or someone who isn't a wolf. But this is how we think. It's survival of the fittest in the wild, Caroline. This isn't what I imagined my life to be like, but… it's just how it is. You accept it and move on," she said.

Before Caroline could say anything else, Hayley abruptly stood up. There was a wet spot on the front of her pants. "Oh my gosh…" she breathed. "I think my water just broke."

* * *

Hayley had been in labor for hours. They were in one of the spare bedrooms of the mansion, and Hayley's contractions were growing closer together. It was almost time. Lucy was a registered nurse, so she knew what to do, and the other three were just trying to help. Kol had been sent to fetch warm, wet cloths… even though there was really no purpose for them. They just needed him out of the room.

Elena was holding Hayley's hand, and Hayley was trying her best not to break it. Caroline was on the other side, dabbing a towel on her forehead to remove the sweat. Bonnie was trying to take some of the pain away, but it didn't seem to be working too well.

"Okay Hayley… it's time to start pushing," Lucy said.

Hayley did exactly as Lucy told her to, and an hour later, there was a beautiful baby wrapped in a blanket, in Caroline's arms. Hayley wasn't going to be with them much longer, and she wanted to talk to Caroline alone. Everyone left the room, and soon it was just Caroline, Rebekah, and the newborn baby girl.

"Caroline, please don't let her know about me," Hayley said.

"Why not?" Caroline asked.

"It's dangerous for her to know that she's adopted; look where it got me," Hayley said through ragged breaths.

"Hayley…" Caroline began.

"Please, Caroline? Just do this… for me," Hayley said.

Caroline nodded, and she felt tears pricking her eyes. "Okay," she whispered.

Hayley smiled and said; "Thank you. And will you do me one more thing?"

"Of course," Caroline said.

Hayley coughed before saying; "Bury me beside my real parents… in Saint Louis cemetery. It's in New Orleans. The name on the crypt is Maxwell."

Caroline nodded, and Hayley's head fell onto the pillow and her eyes closed. Her breathing stopped, as well as her heart, and she was dead.

* * *

Rebekah and Elijah arrived later that day, and Rebekah was all smiles when she heard that the baby was a girl. Caroline asked her as many questions as she could about Klaus, and according to Rebekah, he knew nothing of Caroline's assistance in this matter. He was so close to overthrowing Marcel with the help of the witches, and once he had overthrown him, Caroline and the baby could finally come to New Orleans, and the child could meet her father.

"So have you named her yet?" Rebekah asked.

Caroline nodded. She had thought of all the names she liked, but when she looked at the child in her arms, with the tufts of dark-blonde hair and stormy grey eyes, there was one name that would refuse to leave her mind.

"Yeah, I've named her Hannah Rebekah," Caroline said.

Rebekah smiled and said; "You named her after me?"

"I sure did," Caroline said.

Rebekah flashed to Caroline and carefully crushed her in a hug. "Thank you, Caroline," Rebekah said.

She quickly realized what she was doing, and pulled away. She straightened her blouse and said; "Well, I must be off. Elijah will do what you asked with Hayley. Thank you again, Caroline… for everything."

Caroline just smiled and waved as the Originals left. It wouldn't be long until she was there as well, and she couldn't help but think that… it felt right.


	4. Two Years Later

**Here we go! I hope you enjoy! And may I also say that I got so pissed off during the show when Hayley spoke of the Appalachian region, because she pronounced it wrong. She pronounced it apple-ay-shun, but it's pronounced apple-ach-ian… I live here, so I should know. Anyway… here's the next chapter! :) Enjoy!**

* * *

Two years.

It had been two long years, and Klaus hadn't been to see his child once, and Elijah was just as bad. The only ones who even bothered visiting were Kol and Rebekah, and even the latter had stopped after a while. Kol was the only one who made his visits a regular thing, and Hannah loved her uncle Kol. Mystic Falls had given all it had to offer, so Caroline packed up and moved away. Bonnie went with her, and eventually Elena joined them as well.

They didn't move far, and they stayed within the limits of Virginia, but Caroline needed a change. Now, she ran a restaurant with Bonnie and Elena in the small town of Tazewell, Virginia. It was in the Appalachian region, where Hayley had spent most of her time. Caroline understood why people loved it here- it was beautiful. The three girls had made a name for themselves in the close-knit community, and everyone loved to eat at the 'Sweet C's' restaurant, owned by the three lovely young women.

Caroline loved her job, but she loved Hannah above all else. She didn't know she was capable of loving someone this much, but she couldn't help it- it was just there. The child was talented; far more talented than Caroline ever was. Bonnie was already teacher her to dabble in magic, but only if they kept it secret from the public. Caroline felt somewhat bad, though, because Hannah had no one to teach her about being a wolf. Hannah was already able to change at will, but luckily, she understood that it was not okay to do so in front of customers.

Everyone loved little Hannah Rebekah, and Caroline liked that Hannah was good with people. She instantly wrapped everyone to meet her around her little finger.

Caroline watched as Hannah climbed the stairs of the small slide in the back yard of the restaurant. "Sweetie, please be careful!" she said.

"Okay mama," Hannah replied.

Caroline smiled as Hannah slid down the slide all by herself. "Did it mama… did it!" she said in her broken toddler-English.

"Very good, baby!" she said. She picked Hannah up in her arms and gave her a big hug. "Let's go get a snack… shall we?"

Hannah nodded and ran to the back door of the house-turned-restaurant, excited at the prospect of sugary snacks and fruit juice.

* * *

"Your reign is over, old friend…" Klaus said.

Marcel had been chained up in this godforsaken basement-dungeon for years. The vampire population of New Orleans now believed that Marcel had died at the hands of a rogue werewolf, and Klaus had risen to reclaim his spot as king of New Orleans. Witches were once again free to practice within the city- with reason- and Klaus was ready to rid the world of his protégé.

He plunged his hand into Marcel's chest and tore the heart from it. His onetime friend… his protégé… was no more. He threw the heart to the ground and told the compelled humans to take care of Marcel and the heart on the ground. Klaus left the room and made his way upstairs to his den. He just wanted to get a drink and calm down after the adrenaline rush he had.

He cleaned himself off and poured himself a drink. It was then that he felt a presence in the room. "You know it's not good to sneak up on me," Klaus announced.

Elijah moved from behind a canvas he was admiring, and Klaus could see a wary look in his eye. "Is Marcel dead?" he asked.

Klaus simply nodded, and said; "We have nothing left to worry about in this city."

Elijah gave a curt nod and continued studying the paintings. The pair fell into a comfortable silence, before Elijah said; "Well, I should be off. I have… business, to attend to."

"You just arrived, Elijah. Why leave so soon?" Klaus asked.

"It's business, Niklaus," Elijah replied.

Klaus was beginning to get suspicious of his brother. "Elijah…" he warned.

"If you're so worried, come with me. One day out of the city won't hurt anything," he said.

"If you are setting me up in any way, Elijah…" Klaus began.

Elijah cut him off by saying; "Niklaus, don't be ridiculous. Now… I think you'll enjoy this surprise."

* * *

Caroline and Hannah were taking a walk through the woods. It was Monday morning, and they would need to open the restaurant soon. Hannah loved to be outside, though, so Caroline made sure to take her for walks through the woods. Caroline watched as Hannah stopped to pick a little yellow daisy.

"Pretty like you, mama," she said.

Caroline smiled. "Thank you, baby! I think you're the prettiest, though," she replied.

Hannah smiled, and Caroline opened the gate to the back yard of the restaurant. They grew all their own ingredients, with some help from Bonnie, of course. Hannah ran through first, and Caroline followed quickly.

"Mama, swing!" the toddler said.

Caroline looked over, and sure enough, someone was on the swing set. Upon closer inspection, she determined it was the youngest male Original. Caroline held her finger up to her lips, and leaned in to whisper; "Let's try to sneak up on him." She knew very well that he could hear every word she just said, and she could hear his quiet chuckle.

Caroline and Hannah both tiptoed to where Kol was on the swing set, and Caroline seriously hoped he played along. She watched as Hannah snuck up on him, and growled loudly as she ran to face him. Thankfully, he played along.

"You scared me, little wolf!" he cried.

She giggled and hugged her uncle Kol as he lifted her off the ground. "Uncle Kol!" she cried with glee.

"How have you been, my dear?" he asked.

"Good," she replied.

He turned to Caroline, who was standing there watching with a smirk on her face. "How are you, Caroline?" he asked.

"I'm well," she replied. "How have you been? It's been months."

"It's difficult to get away from New Orleans when people follow you. I didn't want anything to happen to… you know," he explained.

Caroline nodded her head and unlocked the back door of the restaurant. They all stepped inside to see Bonnie already busy baking up a storm. "Bonnie, sweetie… we don't open for hours," Caroline said.

"I know, but I couldn't sleep… I needed something to keep me busy, so… here I am," she replied.

"If you say so," Caroline said.

Caroline went into the dining area to get an apple from the bowl of fruit, and she heard Kol making small talk with Bonnie. She smirked to herself, knowing that Bonnie would keep playing hard-to-get, as she had been for the past two years. She returned to join Bonnie and Kol in the kitchen, and saw Kol holding his head and groaning in pain on the floor.

"Bonnie! Stop!" Caroline said. Bonnie looked at her friend, and then back to Kol. "Why did you do that?" Caroline asked.

"He touched my ass," Bonnie muttered, low enough that Hannah couldn't hear the 'bad word'.

"Kol!" Caroline said. She looked to Hannah who was sitting at the table, taking in the scene with wide eyes. "Perhaps we should continue this later," Caroline suggested before nodding to Hannah.

* * *

Elena arrived moments later and Bonnie left to help her set the tables. Since she had Kol alone, it was the perfect opportunity to ask him how things were in New Orleans.

"So… how are things?" she asked.

Kol smirked. "Fine, how are things with you?" he asked.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Kol," she whined.

"Caroline…" he repeated in the same tone. He smiled and said; "Are you inquiring about Klaus' situation?"

"Well… yeah," Caroline replied.

"He's almost finished in New Orleans. He is now considered king, and Marcel is… indisposed," Kol explained.

"Then where is he? Doesn't he want to see Hannah?" she asked.

"It's not that simple, Caroline. If he just up and left, without leaving someone in charge, everything would fall apart. But, I hear word that he might be leaving Bekah in charge and taking a little… trip," Kol said, smirking at the last part.

"How is Bekah? Hannah has been asking about her," Caroline said.

Kol rolled his eyes. "Bekah is… Bekah. She's chomping at the bit to get back here, but she wants to do what Klaus asks. They've only now returned to okay terms," he said.

Caroline nodded before going to the door and switching the 'closed' sign to 'open' and welcoming in the first customers of the day.


End file.
